A hospital bed or hospital cot is a bed specially designed for hospitalized patients or others in need of some form of health care. These beds have special features both for the comfort and well-being of the patient and for the convenience of health care workers. Common features include adjustable height for the entire bed, the head, and the feet, adjustable side rails, and electronic buttons to operate both the bed and other nearby electronic devices.
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Hospital beds and other similar types of beds such as nursing care beds are used not only in hospitals, but in other health care facilities and settings, such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, outpatient clinics, and in home health care.
While the term hospital bed can refer to the actual bed, the term bed is also used to describe the amount of space in a health care facility, as the capacity for the number of patients at the facility is measured in available "beds".
There are various pros and cons for the different types of hospital beds, depending on the functions and features available, among other factors.[2]
Beds with adjustable side rails first appeared in Britain some time between and .[3]
In the mattress company Andrew Wuest and Son, Cincinnati, Ohio, registered a patent for a type of mattress frame with a hinged head that could be elevated, a predecessor of the modern day hospital bed.[4]
The modern 3-segment adjustable hospital bed was invented by Willis Dew Gatch (-), chair of the Department of Surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine, in .[5] This type of bed is sometimes referred to as the Gatch Bed.[6] The crank was added by Henry Ford.[6]
The modern push-button hospital bed was invented in , and it originally included a built-in toilet in hopes of eliminating the bedpan.[7]
Alternating pressure mattresses use computer-controlled pumps to inflate and deflate automatically in order to lower the risk of bed sores.[8]
Many modern hospital beds are able to feature a bed exit alarm whereby a pressure pad on or in the mattress arms an audible alert when a weight such as a patient is placed on it, and activating the full alarm once this weight is removed. This is helpful to hospital staff or caregivers monitoring any number of patients from a distance (such as a nurse's station) as the alarm will trigger in the event of a patient (especially the elderly or memory impaired) falling out of the bed or wandering off unsupervised. This alarm can be emitted solely from the bed itself or connected to the nurse call bell/light or hospital /paging system.[9] Also some beds can feature a multi-zone bed exit alarm which can alert the staff when the patient start moving in the bed and before the actual exit which is necessary for some cases.
In the event of the bed occupant suddenly requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation, some hospital beds offer a CPR function in the form of a button or lever which when activated flattens the bed platform and put it in lowest height and deflates and flattens the bed's air mattress (if installed) creating a flat hard surface necessary for CPR administration.[10]
Beds can be raised and lowered at the head, feet, and their entire height. While on older beds this is done with cranks usually found at the foot of the bed, on modern beds this feature is electronic.
Today, while a fully electric bed has many features that are electronic, a semi-electric bed has two motors, one to raise the head, and the other to raise the foot.[11]
Raising the head (known as a Fowler's position) can provide some benefits to the patient, the staff, or both. The Fowler's position is used for sitting the patient upright for feeding or certain other activities, or in some patients, can ease breathing, or may be beneficial to the patient for other reasons.[11]
Raising the feet can help ease movement of the patient toward the headboard and may also be necessary for certain conditions.
Raising and lowering the height of the bed can help bring the bed to a comfortable level for the patient to get in and out of bed, or for caregivers to work with the patient.
There are 5 function beds which comes with many functions such as head elevation, foot elevation, Trendelenburg, reverse Trendelenburg positions with height adjustment options.[12] These types of beds are typically used in ICUs and for patients who are high dependent.
Beds have side rails that can be raised or lowered. These rails, which serve as protection for the patient and sometimes can make the patient feel more secure, can also include the buttons used for their operation by staff and patients to move the bed, call the nurse, or even control the television.[13]
There are many types of side rails to serve different purposes. While some are simply to prevent patient falls, others have equipment that can aid the patient themself without physically confining the patient to bed.
Side rails, if not built properly, can be of risk for patient entrapment. In the United States, more than 300 deaths were reported as a result of this between and .[14] As a result, the Food and Drug Administration has set guidelines regarding the safety of side rails.[15]
In some cases, use of the rails may require a physician's order (depending on local laws and the policies of the facility where they are used) as rails may be considered a form of medical restraint.
Many specialist hospital beds are also produced to effectively treat different injuries. These include standing beds, turning beds and legacy beds. These are usually used to treat back and spinal injuries as well as severe trauma.
Some advanced beds are equipped with columns which help tilt the bed to 15–30 degrees on each side. Such tilting can help prevent pressure ulcers for the patient, and help caregivers to do their daily tasks with less of a risk of back injuries.[16]
Wheels enable easy movement of the bed, either within parts of the facility in which they are located, or within the room. Sometimes movement of the bed a few inches to a few feet may be necessary in patient care.
Wheels are lockable. For safety, wheels can be locked when transferring the patient in or out of the bed.[17]
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A hospital bed can cost over US$.00; on average with different costs associated with completely manual functions, 2-motor functions and fully electric 3-motor functions (whole bed going up and down). Other costs are associated with bariatric heavy duty models that also offer extra width.[18]
Hospital beds can make a patient's spine more rounded because a patient who sits up a lot, such as when watching television, tends to slip down.[19] Some of the category a bed manufacturers are providing their beds with a built-in function which acts as an anti-slip. LINET is providing Ergoframe while others have different names.[20]
During the s, patient safety had been a concern with hospital beds.
In , a 3-year-old Milwaukee girl hospitalized for pneumonia was killed when crushed by a mechanical hospital bed.[21]
In , an 11-year-old Illinois boy was strangled to death by a hospital bed.[22]
Did you recently learn that yourself, or a loved one, needs to secure a hospital bed to assist with recovery or to maximize long-term comfort?
We’re here to guide you through the world of hospital beds and help you navigate the many models and accessories available. In fact, we’re confident that Terry Lesiak, Conval-Aid’s resident hospital bed expert, knows more about these beds—and how to acquire one quickly— than anyone else in the Ottawa area.
ARRANGE TO SPEAK WITH TERRY ABOUT HOSPITAL BEDS
Hospital beds are designed for people in need of some form of specialized health care. Most resemble a twin bed but are much sturdier and offer special features that benefit both the patient and the caregiver.
First and foremost, a hospital bed is adjustable. It features perfectly placed hinges that allow the angle of the head and foot sections of the bed to be repositioned, and you can also change the height of the bed. Electric controls operate all these adjustments.
Additionally, they are built with patient safety in mind. For instance, most have, or can accommodate, protective side rails to help prevent falls that could result in serious injury.
Choosing the right bed can be tricky as there are many models and brands to select from. To get started, ask your healthcare provider or occupational therapist for suggestions. (Or, of course, Terry can answer any questions you might have.)
Electric beds are by far the easiest to use because they virtually eliminate the need for manual labour. With the touch of a button, the bed can be changed from a flat position to a seated position.
Some full electric hospital beds are referred to as “high low” medical beds. These beds are recommended for situations where the height of a bed needs to be changed often. For example, a patient might require the bed to be lowered to get safely in and out of bed, while a caregiver needs it to be raised in order to attend to the patient without straining. We’ve found these beds beneficial in situations where weight capacity is a concern, for people with limited mobility and for those suffering from ailments like dementia.
Before ordering your bed, assess the space you have available. Generally, these beds take up more space than a twin bed does.
Each model will be a bit different, but a standard medical bed is approximately 36″ wide (wider with side rails) and 88″ long, with a slightly smaller sleeping area.
Bariatric hospital beds are extra-large and designed to support a higher weight capacity. (They are ideal for patients that weigh between 350 to pounds.) A scale is often incorporated into these fully automatic specialty beds.
See our recommendations for the best hospital beds for home use to learn more about your options.
If a patient is bedridden or must spend more time in bed than not, the type of mattress you choose becomes very important. To avoid bed sores, you’ll want to select a material that properly distributes a patient’s weight across the surface of the bed. Thankfully, you can pick from gel, foam and air mattresses. Additional padding and mattress covers are offered to improve comfort as well.
Yes! You can either rent or buy a hospital bed. Renting is a great decision if you know you’ll only need the bed temporarily. However, if you are hoping to obtain a bed for a senior or have a long-term need, we recommend purchasing a bed and mattress.
Unfortunately, there is almost no government funding available for medical beds, so they are often an out-of-pocket expense. That said, some supplemental or employer group insurance plans do reimburse durable medical equipment (DME) expenses up to a certain amount. If you have one of these plans, it’s worth looking into!
If a patient is recovering from an injury or returning home from a hospital stay, the assigned occupational therapist (OT) is a wonderful resource. With access to medical history records and an understanding of rehabilitation plans, they can make proper recommendations. An OT can also explain other medical equipment that might be required, such as a trapeze (a bar a patient used to lift and reposition themselves with). Conval-Aid works closely with the OT community in Ottawa.
If you have any questions at all, contact Terry. Why? Because he has the answers. And, he’ll do whatever it takes to reduce your stress by making this process easier for you.
You can count on Terry to:
With Terry’s help, you can focus on getting your loved one home and comfortably settled in a safe and secure bed.
Are you interested in learning more about VIP Nursing Beds? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!